What else do i need just bought a road bike

timboellis

Just bought a Plant X RT-58 what else do i need , I already have a seat pack and tools , iassume i need a couple of innertubes just in case and what size do i get or am i better getting different tyres again what size do i need?

Also what type of pump will work with the racer i already have one of those compact frame ones for the mountain bike i assume that will do and will not get in the way.

gethinceri

You joined the forum in 2011 and haven't read any threads on this subject?

timboellis

Nope as you will have seen it was all MTB , I know nothing about road bikes

juanerasmoe

The innertubes will depend on your wheel size. Just take a look at the walls of your wheel and you'll find the size there. And now that you have the tools, LEARN TO USE THEM. It isn't that uncommon to find people on the side of the road with a puncture, a spare inner tube, all the tools, and no idea of how to use them.
Most road wheels use presta valve, so just verify if your pump is presta-compatible. If not, go for a pump with a smart valve; something like http://goo.gl/r82USJ.
Apart from that, there are hundreds of ways to spend your money, so just give it time.

macleod113

i carry a co2 pump (as well as a regular pump) as i can barely get over 70psi by hand so the co2 may just save you from a wobbly ride home after a puncture. as for tubes, i normally purchase the budget ones from decathlon/halfords for 2-3 pounds each. so cheap i bin rather than repair them normally. as above its good to practice as road tyres are more of a bugg=r than mtb ones. also check the tube valve length is long enough to go through the rim or like me you'll be stuck with a tube that doesnt fit and have to explain to the mrs why you need a lift :-)

markhewitt1978

timboellis wrote:

Just bought a Plant X RT-58 what else do i need , I already have a seat pack and tools , iassume i need a couple of innertubes just in case and what size do i get or am i better getting different tyres again what size do i need?

Also what type of pump will work with the racer i already have one of those compact frame ones for the mountain bike i assume that will do and will not get in the way.

Use the tyres you have until they wear out or you're getting a lot of punctures. The ones you have are 700c (refers to the size of the wheel) and 23mm (the width of the tyre), so anything which says 700x23 will fit. But you may be able to fit wider too 700x25 is a popular choice.

You'll also need, bottles, bottle cages. Helmet (personal choice), ideally a bike computer of some sort.
I'd get a Presta valved track pump to keep at home, saves a lot of effort because you're tyres will need pumping every 2 weeks at least.

Take a look at clipless pedals and shoes, pretty much essential for road biking.

Then clothing, decent padded shorts.

The fitness and lots of it.

Tjgoodhew

MacLeod113 wrote:

i carry a co2 pump (as well as a regular pump) as i can barely get over 70psi by hand so the co2 may just save you from a wobbly ride home after a puncture. as for tubes, i normally purchase the budget ones from decathlon/halfords for 2-3 pounds each. so cheap i bin rather than repair them normally. as above its good to practice as road tyres are more of a bugg=r than mtb ones. also check the tube valve length is long enough to go through the rim or like me you'll be stuck with a tube that doesnt fit and have to explain to the mrs why you need a lift :-)

That sounds familair !!!

Altho when i called she was out and refused to come and get me. That left me standing by the side of the road and waiting for another cyclist to rescue me with a tube with longer valves !!!

slowbike

bike pump pressure - you could do with a pump that will get to 140 or 160psi - it makes it much easier to get to 100psi without the standpump - some have gauges that make getting the right pressure easy to see.

That with 2 spare tubes, instant patches, 2 tyre levers (1 is normally enough until you drop it or break it), your multi-tool and a pump on the frame.

TBH I'd get a back light as well - especially at this time of year when I'd turn it on all the time.

arthur_scrimshaw

Tjgoodhew wrote:

MacLeod113 wrote:

i carry a co2 pump (as well as a regular pump) as i can barely get over 70psi by hand so the co2 may just save you from a wobbly ride home after a puncture. as for tubes, i normally purchase the budget ones from decathlon/halfords for 2-3 pounds each. so cheap i bin rather than repair them normally. as above its good to practice as road tyres are more of a bugg=r than mtb ones. also check the tube valve length is long enough to go through the rim or like me you'll be stuck with a tube that doesnt fit and have to explain to the mrs why you need a lift :-)

That sounds familair !!!

Altho when i called she was out and refused to come and get me. That left me standing by the side of the road and waiting for another cyclist to rescue me with a tube with longer valves !!!

Dump her for a more sympathetic version.

ForumNewbie

I would say a track pump is essential as really hard to get up to 90/100 psi with a hand pump - I usually top up my tyres with the track pump before every ride. Other essentials include padded shorts, gloves, helmet etc. I don't think going for clipless shoes and pedals is essential to start with, but if you already use SPDs for mountain biking, I stick with them for the road bike as easier to use than single-sided SPD-SL road pedals.

Kendoddsdadsdeaddog

A work stand is handy - unless you have one for the muddy bike.

Kendoddsdadsdeaddog

Once you have the stand, this is the best deep sea diver you can spend, http://www.wiggle.co.uk/morgan-blue-cha ... 5360381912

CiB

Posted this before, but buy a Chinese takeaway. Eat it, wash the tubs out that it came in then use them to store everything off your bike as you strip it it to its barebones components. Give everything a good clean even if its already clean then put it all back together. You'll learn a few things, mainly that putting a bike back together is dead easy and doesn't require many tools, and that taking it to your LBS to sort the gears out is the biggest waste of time & money known to mankind. You'll also be chuffed to f that you managed it, and next time you won't even wonder about doing it.

The ideal time is a Saturday afternoon in the garage with any of the following soundtracks:

The saturday afternoon play on Radio 4

Everton v Bolton on 5Live (when I spent nearly an hour trying to drop an inner through the frame)

Tony Blackburn's old chart rundown.

Sorted.

Biomech

Having a glance, I notice that no one has mentioned fitting.
First thing I'd recommend would be getting the bike properly fitted. During which you might find that you need to replace various parts (seat, stem etc). Secondly you'll need a budget, because the bike is the cheapest part :P

plowmar

Another bike ?

simon_masterson

Biomech wrote:

Having a glance, I notice that no one has mentioned fitting.
First thing I'd recommend would be getting the bike properly fitted. During which you might find that you need to replace various parts (seat, stem etc). Secondly you'll need a budget, because the bike is the cheapest part :P

You can do this yourself, no need to pay - and in the first instance you should. Not knowing the dimensions you need in a bike is a bit like not knowing your waist, inside length and chest size, and getting a good fit on your own is very achievable for most people. There is definitely a place for professional bike fitting, but apart from anything else you'll get more out of it and make it easier for them if you spend some time fitting yourself to your bike and then allowing your body to get used to it; really drastic changes are hard for the body to deal with, and bike fitters will look at your existing setup and riding style when they fit you.

Manc33

Marathon Plus - or fix punctures. The choice is yours. 8)

Biomech

You can do this yourself, no need to pay - and in the first instance you should.

I certainly agree from a learning point of view and you can get an alright fit. But I'd still recommend a professional fit, it's worth the money. I had a very bad back so had a go myself and then had it done properly. The LBS did a great job and educated me on many aspects of the fit, we changed the seat, the steam and the bars - something I wouldn't have done had I just left the fit that I did. And the new fitting made a massive difference and has been invaluable.

simon_masterson

Biomech wrote:

You can do this yourself, no need to pay - and in the first instance you should.

I certainly agree from a learning point of view and you can get an alright fit. But I'd still recommend a professional fit, it's worth the money. I had a very bad back so had a go myself and then had it done properly. The LBS did a great job and educated me on many aspects of the fit, we changed the seat, the steam and the bars - something I wouldn't have done had I just left the fit that I did. And the new fitting made a massive difference and has been invaluable.

Sure - if you have a bad back, getting some professional input is a good idea.

But you can do much better than an 'alright' fit. There are plenty of excellent resources on the web and in books that will help you, and as per previous post, bike fitters are human. None of the systems that any of them use are infallible, and your existing riding style and set up are huge components. If they have to make small tweaks to a setup that you have fine tuned and then acclimatised to over a couple of months, you'll get so much more out of it than if everything's 2 inches from where it should be. I would venture to say that most of us that aren't riding bespoke bikes would end up with something rather different than we use now were we to be measured up, and a slightly different outcome from every different person measuring.